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Energy-Efficiency of Conveyor Belts in Raw Materials Industry
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Energy-Efficiency of Conveyor Belts in Raw Materials Industry

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (17 December 2021) | Viewed by 23699

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Daniela Marasová

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Mining, Ecology, Process Control and Geotechnologies, Technical University of Košice, Letná 9, 042 00 Košice, Slovakia
Interests: mining engineering; mining; transport management; transportation engineering; traffic engineering
Prof. Monika Hardygora

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Geoengineering, Mining and Geology, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Na Grobli 15 St., 50-421 Wrocław, Poland
Interests: mining engineering; mining; conveyor transport in mines; mining machines; mining technologies; designs and calculations for haulage and hoist systems used in mining
Dr. Mirosław Bajda

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Geoengineering, Mining and Geology, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Na Grobli 15 St., 50-421 Wrocław, Poland
Interests: issues related to conveyor belts; mining engineering; mining; conveyor transport in mines

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Belt conveyors are presently the most common transportation machines used in surface and underground mining. Apart from mining industry, belt conveyors are also used in cement and chemical industries, and in power plants and ports. Conveyor belt transportation technology used in the global mining industry has undergone constant development. The advances are most clearly visible in long-distance belt conveyor designs. The two most important areas for belt conveyor development are first and foremost improving belt conveyor efficiency and extending the length of a single conveyor, which entails increasing the power of the drive mechanisms. High-power conveyors need considerable amounts of electric energy, and consequently, due to global increase in energy prices, they generate increased transportation costs. In recent years, very intensive research has been performed on lowering the energy consumption of belt conveyor drive mechanisms. Extensive theoretical and experimental research has demonstrated the potential for energy savings in the individual components of belt conveyors, such as belts, idlers, gearboxes, couplings, drive systems, belt tensioning systems, etc. The identification of main resistance in belt conveyors is an example of one such research approach. The research proved that the feasibility of limiting electric energy consumption is linked to belt properties. Estimations suggest that implementing improved energy-saving belts with adequate parameters of rubber cover will allow a significant decrease of conveyor primary resistance, which will result in decreased electric energy consumption by conveyor drive mechanisms.

Analysis of belt transportation systems in Polish brown coal mines shows the scale of the problem. The “Belchatow” lignite mine, which extracts above 4 × 107 Mg of coal and more than 1 × 108 m3 of overlay per year, may be a good example here. The transportation of materials in the Belchatow mine is performed with the use of belt conveyors having a total length of more than 160 km and accounts for approximately 50% of its electric energy consumption. This fact demonstrates both the economic and ecological importance of technologically optimizing belt conveyors in order to lower the energy consumption of drive mechanisms.

The proposed topics for this Special Issue of Energies include the following research areas:

  1. Energy-saving solutions in belt conveyor transportation—modeling of the operating conditions and dimensioning of conveyors, monitoring the condition of conveyor components, predictive diagnostics.
  2. New energy-saving solutions with respect to conveyor components, especially their drive systems, gearboxes, couplings, idlers, as well as devices for controlling and monitoring their operation.
  3. Calculations of belt conveyor parameters and of energy savings due to conveyor speed adjustments, more efficient use of the transportation capacity, and optimal selection of conveyors for particular tasks.
  4. Applications of environmentally friendly and economically justified design solutions aimed at improving the energy efficiency of belt conveyors and limiting their noise impact.
  5. Optimizing the operation-related processes in belt conveyors (evaluation of the energy consumption, durability, and reliability of conveyor transportation systems).
  6. Methods for the evaluation and measurement of both the quality of conveyors and their behavior during the starting process.
  7. Experiments regarding laboratory and in-service tests of belt conveyors and their components, such as belts, idlers, drives, and gearboxes—new measurement and result-processing technologies.
  8. The use of belt conveyors related to the monitoring of their condition, damage analysis, computer-aided management, as well as the identification of the properties of both belts and their splices.

Prof. Daniela Marasová
Prof. Monika Hardygora
Dr. Mirosław Bajda
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Energy-saving conveyors； Belt conveyor 4.0； Energy-saving belts； Monitoring the condition of main components in the conveyor； Predictive diagnostics； Laboratory and in-service tests of conveyor components； DEM numerical modeling； Noise emissions

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Editorial

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6 pages, 211 KiB  
Editorial
Energy Efficiency of Conveyor Belts in Raw Materials Industry
by Mirosław Bajda, Monika Hardygóra and Daniela Marasová
Energies 2022, 15(9), 3080; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15093080 - 22 Apr 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1909
Abstract
Belt conveyors are presently the most common transportation machines used in surface and underground mining [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy-Efficiency of Conveyor Belts in Raw Materials Industry)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

20 pages, 15531 KiB  
Article
An Automatic Procedure for Overheated Idler Detection in Belt Conveyors Using Fusion of Infrared and RGB Images Acquired during UGV Robot Inspection
by Przemyslaw Dabek, Jaroslaw Szrek, Radoslaw Zimroz and Jacek Wodecki
Energies 2022, 15(2), 601; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15020601 - 14 Jan 2022
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 2488
Abstract
Complex mechanical systems used in the mining industry for efficient raw materials extraction require proper maintenance. Especially in a deep underground mine, the regular inspection of machines operating in extremely harsh conditions is challenging, thus, monitoring systems and autonomous inspection robots are becoming [...] Read more.
Complex mechanical systems used in the mining industry for efficient raw materials extraction require proper maintenance. Especially in a deep underground mine, the regular inspection of machines operating in extremely harsh conditions is challenging, thus, monitoring systems and autonomous inspection robots are becoming more and more popular. In the paper, it is proposed to use a mobile unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) platform equipped with various data acquisition systems for supporting inspection procedures. Although maintenance staff with appropriate experience are able to identify problems almost immediately, due to mentioned harsh conditions such as temperature, humidity, poisonous gas risk, etc., their presence in dangerous areas is limited. Thus, it is recommended to use inspection robots collecting data and appropriate algorithms for their processing. In this paper, the authors propose red-green-blue (RGB) and infrared (IR) image fusion to detect overheated idlers. An original procedure for image processing is proposed, that exploits some characteristic features of conveyors to pre-process the RGB image to minimize non-informative components in the pictures collected by the robot. Then, the authors use this result for IR image processing to improve SNR and finally detect hot spots in IR image. The experiments have been performed on real conveyors operating in industrial conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy-Efficiency of Conveyor Belts in Raw Materials Industry)
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14 pages, 15449 KiB  
Article
Dynamic Model of Impact Energy Absorption by a Conveyor Belt in Interaction with the Support System
by Daniela Marasova, Miriam Andrejiova and Anna Grincova
Energies 2022, 15(1), 64; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15010064 - 22 Dec 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2343
Abstract
Measurements of the dynamic load of conveyor belts of identical strengths were used to evaluate and compare the data for belts with and without a support system. The goal was to identify the effects of the support system in terms of a relative [...] Read more.
Measurements of the dynamic load of conveyor belts of identical strengths were used to evaluate and compare the data for belts with and without a support system. The goal was to identify the effects of the support system in terms of a relative amount of impact energy absorbed by a conveyor belt. A dynamic model was designed based on selected parameters of the impact process. Damage to conveyor belts, caused by the absorption of impact energy, was evaluated using the applied methods of mathematical statistics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy-Efficiency of Conveyor Belts in Raw Materials Industry)
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17 pages, 9159 KiB  
Article
Inspection Robotic UGV Platform and the Procedure for an Acoustic Signal-Based Fault Detection in Belt Conveyor Idler
by Hamid Shiri, Jacek Wodecki, Bartłomiej Ziętek and Radosław Zimroz
Energies 2021, 14(22), 7646; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14227646 - 16 Nov 2021
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 2492
Abstract
Belt conveyors are commonly used for the transportation of bulk materials. The most characteristic design feature is the fact that thousands of idlers are supporting the moving belt. One of the critical elements of the idler is the rolling element bearing, which requires [...] Read more.
Belt conveyors are commonly used for the transportation of bulk materials. The most characteristic design feature is the fact that thousands of idlers are supporting the moving belt. One of the critical elements of the idler is the rolling element bearing, which requires monitoring and diagnostics to prevent potential failure. Due to the number of idlers to be monitored, the size of the conveyor, and the risk of accident when dealing with rotating elements and moving belts, monitoring of all idlers (i.e., using vibration sensors) is impractical regarding scale and connectivity. Hence, an inspection robot is proposed to capture acoustic signals instead of vibrations commonly used in condition monitoring. Then, signal processing techniques are used for signal pre-processing and analysis to check the condition of the idler. It has been found that even if the damage signature is identifiable in the captured signal, it is hard to automatically detect the fault in some cases due to sound disturbances caused by contact of the belt joint and idler coating. Classical techniques based on impulsiveness may fail in such a case, moreover, they indicate damage even if idlers are in good condition. The application of the inspection robot can “replace” the classical measurement done by maintenance staff, which can improve the safety during the inspection. In this paper, the authors show that damage detection in bearings installed in belt conveyor idlers using acoustic signals is possible, even in the presence of a significant amount of background noise. Influence of the sound disturbance due to the belt joint can be minimized by appropriate signal processing methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy-Efficiency of Conveyor Belts in Raw Materials Industry)
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17 pages, 1838 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Influence of the Type of Belt on the Energy Consumption of Transport Processes in a Belt Conveyor
by Mirosław Bajda and Monika Hardygóra
Energies 2021, 14(19), 6180; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14196180 - 28 Sep 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3401
Abstract
Results of tests into the energy-efficiency of belt conveyor transportation systems indicate that the energy consumption of their drive mechanisms can be limited by lowering the main resistances in the conveyor. The main component of these resistances is represented by belt indentation rolling [...] Read more.
Results of tests into the energy-efficiency of belt conveyor transportation systems indicate that the energy consumption of their drive mechanisms can be limited by lowering the main resistances in the conveyor. The main component of these resistances is represented by belt indentation rolling resistance. Limiting its value will allow a reduction in the amount of energy consumed by the drive mechanisms. This article presents a test rig which enables uncomplicated evaluations of such rolling resistances. It also presents the results of comparative tests performed for five steel-cord conveyor belts. The tests involved a standard belt, a refurbished belt and three energy-saving belts. As temperature significantly influences the values of belt indentation rolling resistance, the tests were performed in both positive and negative temperatures. The results indicate that when compared with the standard belt, the refurbished and the energy-efficient belts generate higher and lower indentation rolling resistances, respectively. In order to demonstrate practical advantages resulting from the use of energy-saving belts, this article also includes calculations of the power demand of a conveyor drive mechanism during one calendar year, as measured on a belt conveyor operated in a mine. The replacement of a standard belt with a refurbished belt generates a power demand higher by 4.8%, and with an energy-efficient belt—lower by 15.3%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy-Efficiency of Conveyor Belts in Raw Materials Industry)
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12 pages, 3188 KiB  
Article
Aspects of Selecting Appropriate Conveyor Belt Strength
by Dariusz Woźniak and Monika Hardygóra
Energies 2021, 14(19), 6018; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14196018 - 22 Sep 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2257
Abstract
Breaks in the so-called “continuous” (unspliced) belt sections, and not in the spliced areas, are infrequent but do happen in practice. This article presents some aspects, which may account for such breaks in conveyor belts. It indicates the so-called “sensitive points” in design, [...] Read more.
Breaks in the so-called “continuous” (unspliced) belt sections, and not in the spliced areas, are infrequent but do happen in practice. This article presents some aspects, which may account for such breaks in conveyor belts. It indicates the so-called “sensitive points” in design, especially in the transition section of the conveyor belt and in identifying the actual strength of the belt. The presented results include the influence of the width of a belt specimen on the identified belt tensile strength. An increase in the specimen width entails a decrease in the belt strength. The research involved develops a universal theoretical model of the belt on a transition section of a troughed conveyor in which, in the case of steel-cord belts, the belt is composed of cords and layers of rubber, and in the case of a textile belt, of narrow strips. The article also describes geometrical forces in the transition section of the belt and an illustrative analysis of loads acting on the belt. Attention was also devoted to the influence of the belt type on the non-uniform character of loads in the transition section of the conveyor. A replacement of a conveyor belt with a belt having different elastic properties may increase the non-uniformity of belt loads in the transition section of the conveyor, even by 100%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy-Efficiency of Conveyor Belts in Raw Materials Industry)
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14 pages, 3635 KiB  
Article
Models of Transverse Vibration in Conveyor Belt—Investigation and Analysis
by Piotr Bortnowski, Lech Gładysiewicz, Robert Król and Maksymilian Ozdoba
Energies 2021, 14(14), 4153; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14144153 - 09 Jul 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2928
Abstract
The transverse vibration frequency of conveyor belts is an important parameter describing the dynamic characteristics of a belt conveyor. This parameter is most often identified from theoretical relationships, which are derived on the basis of an assumption that the belt is a stationary [...] Read more.
The transverse vibration frequency of conveyor belts is an important parameter describing the dynamic characteristics of a belt conveyor. This parameter is most often identified from theoretical relationships, which are derived on the basis of an assumption that the belt is a stationary elastic string. Belt vibrations have a number of analogies to other tension member systems, such as, for example, power transmission belts. Some research findings suggest that in the case of a limited length of the belt section, a more accurate description of its vibration can be obtained with a beam model rather than with a string model. Experimental research has so far mostly revolved around measurements of stationary belts. This article presents the results of vibration measurements performed for a moving belt and obtained for various operating parameters of the conveyor, as well as for several configurations of the distance between idler supports. The analysis was conducted on a moving steel-cord belt. Belts of this type are commonly used in the majority of mines and industrial plants. The measurement results were compared with the model of a string and with the model of a beam in tension. Both of the theoretical models allowed for the belt speed, whose influence was demonstrated in both theoretical calculations and experimental tests to be negligible. On the other hand, the tensile force in the belt was observed to have a significant impact on the vibration frequency. Depending on the idler spacing, the measurement results are approximate to those of the beam model or of the string model. For spacing smaller than 1.6 m, the belt shows properties approximate to an elastic beam, while for spacing greater than 1.6 m, the belt behaviour can be better represented through a string model. A beam model is, therefore, more applicable in analyses of vibrations in the upper strand of the belt, while a string model is more useful in analyses of vibrations in the lower strand. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy-Efficiency of Conveyor Belts in Raw Materials Industry)
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13 pages, 5618 KiB  
Article
Simple Design Solution for Harsh Operating Conditions: Redesign of Conveyor Transfer Station with Reverse Engineering and DEM Simulations
by Błażej Doroszuk, Robert Król and Jarosław Wajs
Energies 2021, 14(13), 4008; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14134008 - 02 Jul 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2187
Abstract
This paper addresses the problem of conveyor transfer station design in harsh operating conditions, aiming to identify and eliminate a failure phenomenon which interrupts aggregate supply. The analyzed transfer station is located in a Polish granite quarry. The study employs laser scanning and [...] Read more.
This paper addresses the problem of conveyor transfer station design in harsh operating conditions, aiming to identify and eliminate a failure phenomenon which interrupts aggregate supply. The analyzed transfer station is located in a Polish granite quarry. The study employs laser scanning and reverse engineering methods to map the existing transfer station and its geometry. Next, a discrete element method (DEM) model of granite aggregate has been created and used for simulating current operating conditions. The arch formation has been identified as the main reason for breakdowns. Alternative design solutions for transfer stations were tested in DEM simulations. The most uncomplicated design for manufacturing incorporated an impact plate, and a straight chute has been selected as the best solution. The study also involved identifying areas of the new station most exposed to wear phenomena. A new transfer point was implemented in the quarry and resolved the problem of blockages. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy-Efficiency of Conveyor Belts in Raw Materials Industry)
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11 pages, 4199 KiB  
Article
Statistical Analysis and Neural Network in Detecting Steel Cord Failures in Conveyor Belts
by Dominika Olchówka, Aleksandra Rzeszowska, Leszek Jurdziak and Ryszard Błażej
Energies 2021, 14(11), 3081; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14113081 - 26 May 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2117
Abstract
This paper presents the identification and classification of steel cord failures in the conveyor belt core based on an analysis of a two-dimensional image of magnetic field changes recorded using the Diagbelt system around scanned failures in the test belt. The obtained set [...] Read more.
This paper presents the identification and classification of steel cord failures in the conveyor belt core based on an analysis of a two-dimensional image of magnetic field changes recorded using the Diagbelt system around scanned failures in the test belt. The obtained set of identified changes in images, obtained for numerous parameters settings of the device, were the base for statistical analysis. This analysis makes it possible to determine the Pearson’s linear correlation coefficient between the parameters being changed and the image of the failures. In the second stage of the research, artificial intelligence methods were applied to construct a multilayer neural network (MLP) and to teach it appropriate identification of damage. In both methods, the same data sets were used, which made it possible to compare methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy-Efficiency of Conveyor Belts in Raw Materials Industry)
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